After at least five months of petrol famine, in which my thirst for cars and motorcycles has mostly been slaked by making unseen yet significant improvements to my Saab 9-3 Viggen, all of a sudden it seems like I’m bingeing on Shell V-Power.
First – and this is admittedly good news – you might recall my encounter with a woeful road surface at Harthill Services off the M8. Well, after a little toing and froing I succeeded in securing compensation from BP Connect (who are responsible for maintaining road surfaces at Harthill).
There then followed a faintly distressing period where I searched, in vain, for replacement suspension parts, a quest which came to a positive end after the sending of a last-ditch email to Perth Saab. About £600 worth of new bits arrived from Sweden this week and might even be on the car by the time you read this. Willie at Perth Saab: will you marry me?
Second, the time has come to part with her nibs’ VW Lupo GTi. To be fair, the time had come a few months ago but midwinter is not the best window in which to punt a nippy city car with the foibles you’d expect from a 17-year-old chariot, no matter how well looked after.
Anyway, fettling the Lupo ahead of the required photo session was just the job for a couple of Sundays past. Such a task is not to be completed in a hurry, however, and I had to dedicate the best part of a day to it, a day in which I had more than enough to otherwise occupy myself with. Hey ho. If you’re on the hunt for a low-mileage Lupo GTi, let me know …
Then there is the diamond in the collection, the VW Corrado, which has been hibernating in the garage since November. I couldn’t let any more time pass without turning over the engine so I duly reconnected the battery and did exactly that. It fired up without hesitation: sweet.
Being at a relatively early stage in my relationship with the Corrado, I was also pleasantly surprised by the condition of the car, especially since I replaced the underbonnet insulation with brand-new foam, ironed out a few issues with the exterior trim and fitted the correct bonnet stay (as anyone who owns a car of note will tell you, the devil is in the details).
Over in the two-wheeled corner, meanwhile, the longer days and (slightly) better weather has meant more time in the saddle of my Suzuki SV650S.
The Glasgow South IAM group, with whose rider section I am preparing for the advanced test, has reconvened and I am positively itching to develop my skills, especially on bends. That’s Wednesday nights sorted for the foreseeable.
There was also a birl through to Ingliston for the Scottish Motorcycle Show last weekend, which fair whetted the appetite for acquisition and adventure.
I suspect I’m not alone in feeling slightly overwhelmed by this avalanche of motoring activity. I’ll enjoy it while I can.
Glasgow South IAM Group hosts Introduction to Advanced Driving evenings on April 18 and May 2, Thorntree Hall, Main Street, Thornliebank, Glasgow at 7.30pm. Free admission. Visit iam-gs.org.uk
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